Chapter 9 - The Fire in the Dark
"Step back," Maya said, her thumb resting on the electronic ignition trigger.
"She’s bluffing," Richard growled to his guards, his smooth composure cracking into a grimace of anger. "Grab them!"
The lead guard lunged forward into the narrow doorway.
Maya didn't hesitate. She clicked the ignition switch—CLICK-FZZZZT!
A hot, brilliant blue jet of flame, three feet long, erupted from the nozzle of the pastry torch, spraying directly into the lead guard's face. The man let out a blood-curdling scream as his leather coat caught fire, stumbling backward into the narrow alley, thrashing wildly.
"Shoot her!" Richard screamed, staggering back into the rain.
POP! POP!
Two muffled gunshots shattered the brickwork near Maya’s head, showering her with concrete dust.
Maya grabbed Evelyn by the waist, shoving her behind the heavy steel emergency door. She aimed the jet of blue flame directly at the rubber seals of the gas line pressure valve mounted on the exterior wall.
The rubber melted instantly. A high-pitched, screaming hiss filled the alley as pressurized natural gas began venting into the enclosed space.
"GET BACK!" Richard screamed to his men, realizing what was about to happen. "SHE'S CRAZY! GET BACK!"
Maya pulled the steel door shut from the inside, slamming the heavy iron deadbolt into place just as the spark from the guard’s burning coat hit the gas cloud outside.
BOOM!
A violent shockwave rocked the basement stairwell. The heavy steel door bulged inward, hot orange flames licking around the rubber seals, but the reinforced barrier held. The muffled screams of Richard’s men were drowned out by the roar of the fire venting up the alleyway like a chimney.
In the dark stairwell, Maya dropped the empty blowtorch onto the concrete floor.
Evelyn was on her knees, shaking uncontrollably, her hands pressed over her ears.
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Maya knelt beside her mother, wrapping her arms around the older woman’s trembling shoulders, pulling her close against her chest.
"It's over," Maya whispered into Evelyn’s hair. "It's over."
